"Strong positive phases of the NAO tend to be associated with above-
normal temperatures in the eastern United States and across northern
Europe and below-normal temperatures in Greenland and oftentimes
across southern Europe and the Middle East. They are also associated
with above-normal precipitation over northern Europe and Scandinavia
and below-normal precipitation over southern and central Europe.
Opposite patterns of temperature and precipitation anomalies are
typically observed during strong negative phases of the NAO. During
particularly prolonged periods dominated by one particular phase of
the NAO, abnormal height and temperature patterns are also often seen
extending well into central Russia and north-central Siberia.

. . .

An abrupt transition to recurring positive phases of the NAO then
occurred during the 1979/80 winter, with the atmosphere remaining
locked into this mode through the 1994/95 winter season. During this
15-year interval, a substantial negative phase of the pattern
appeared only twice, in the winters of 1984/85 and 1985/ 86. However,
November 1995 - February 1996 (NDJF 95/96) was characterized by a
return to the strong negative phase of the NAO. Halpert and Bell
(1997; their section 3.3) recently documented the conditions
accompanying this transition to the negative phase of the NAO. The
1996/97 winter season has exhibited a more variable nature to the
NAO, with negative phases of the pattern occurring in December 1996
and January 1997, and positive phases occurring in February and March
1997."

"More than 15 years after dead whales washed ashore at Cape Cod,
history may be repeating itself.

Scientists investigating a cluster of whale carcasses in the Gulf of
Maine say a near-invisible, toxic algae blamed for at least 14 whale
deaths in 1987 may have struck again.

Blubber, skin, waste products and stomach fluid collected this week
from six dead whales floating hundreds of miles off the Maine coast
will help determine whether the culprit is an algal bloom, often
called red tide because of its appearance when heavily concentrated."

COMMENT:

My view in looking at the NAO data is we had a similar reversal
recently as in that which occurred from 1984 then to winter 1986/7
from negative to positive NAO. The drought in the NE ended. The top
like shows a (there words) "Modulation of ENSO impacts in Florida by
the NAO". This to me gets to how powerful not how NAO/ENSO is to
algae populations, but the reverse--that NAO/ENSO IS biological,
microbial in its behaviors (algae and surface conductivities is one
aspect of it, w/ hydrates as electrically insulative and microbial
dynamics sub-surface in the oceans important to the behaviors of
large scale low freq ion movements that help define cirrus cloud and
cloud nucliation processes. These processes, of course, feed back
infra red retention values in impact on the convection and heat
trapped under these clouds.

The Gaia logic is this--the whale deaths are an important, probably
very long term biological pattern consistant with a living earth.
That is, if whales consume the algae, their ability to contain
chemistries over diffusion on the surface, and hence increase surface
conductivity, or decrease impedance values, is reduced. Therefore, a
complexity like toxicity was allowed to evolve and the whales were
not allowed to evolve a defense against it. That is, the selective
pressures would be such that if a whale DID have immunity to the
toxicity, it would consume the algae and prevent the biological
feedback to climate to occur, thereby causing more chaotic
temperature and chemical modulations to the region, and eventually
threatening the creatures that disrupted the modulation. The
toxicity without defense is universal and across the complex life
spectrum because the selective pressures have occurred over huge
timescales.

++++++++++

Modernly, ENSO was defined by a panel of experts in Japan. This
defition looks a temperature profiles on the surface and winds and
BPs. Sadly, it doesn't look at fishing conditions off the coast of
Peru--the fishermen who named the occurance had a better idea, old
and without the technology, because they had the biology more in
mind!

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, August 4, 2003 -- More than 8,000 tree
species, 10 percent of the world's total, are threatened with
extinction, and the situation has grown worse over the past five
years, according to a new report sponsored by the UK Department for
Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

"Towards a Global Tree Conservation Atlas," published this week,
shows that 976 tree species are in a critical situation, and very few
of these endangered trees are being conserved in the wild. The report
highlights the plight of five "flagship" species that the Global
Trees Campaign is working to save.

++++++++++++++++++

Comment:

Because climate is biological, you cannot separate this issue over
extinction and biodiversity from climate change. (Unless you are
either ignorant or a fascist with a ignorant agenda.)

Personally I think you're full of [curse word]. I'd like to see your
scientific proof for global warming, not just liberal trash. I'm
talking hard evidence not opinions based upon disparate vignettes.
I'll apologize for the profanity directed at you because that is
rude. I'd like an apology from you because I'm a proud right-winger
and you're opinions are not only wrong but offensive.

Comment:

So proud that they won't allow critical comments on their own
discussion bb and won't debate the real substance of the subject.